


The Terror

by JurassicLion



Category: Original Work
Genre: Animal Attack, Animals, Blood and Injury, Horror, Lions, Mexican Character, Mexican-American character, Short One Shot, Short Story, Survival Horror, U.S.-Mexico Border, Wildlife
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24993376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JurassicLion/pseuds/JurassicLion
Summary: In Las Noches Wildlife Reserve, Park Rangers fight to the death against a dangerous unknown beast.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	The Terror

**Author's Note:**

> "Tingly Horror" on YouTube has made a lovingly haunting audio version of "The Terror" you can listen to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T3Un2h-srU

I’d been three years into my job as a park ranger at “Las Noches Wildlife Reserve”. You know how unique it is given its placement right dab on the U.S.-Mexico Border. It probably helped that I’d had ten years experience working with wildlife/animals, five years before that as a veterinary assistant, and the fact I was fluent in Spanish & English. As a Mexican-American this was very helpful in communicating with the locals of the area regardless of nationality or heritage. Dual heritage can help like that.

My previous job saw me working around large predators in a wildlife sanctuary. Mostly behavioral research which entailed taking care of them - their medical health, nutrition, & mental state. I’d collect the raw data on how they behaved in turn. It led to having an interesting friendship with several animals that were known to be the fiercest predators on the planet.

From Timber wolves, to Bengal tigers, Grizzly bears, even a komodo dragon. I'd worked with plenty. While I do not downplay the fact that these are animals designed for being efficient killers, I must confess much of their fearsome reputations are over-exaggeration. Some animals could be man-eaters or even outsmart human beings. But at the end of the day, animals were just animals. Governed by instinct, survival, sustenance. They weren't evil. They just were.

The Terror... that is the first time I met a creature that was truly evil.

Patricia Patterson (my partner and senior ranger) and I were driving nearby the Border line on our usual rounds. Despite what the politicians might say, the Border is not one continuous wall from coast to coast. It's geographically impossible. The terrain of hills, mountains, rivers, and desert is too mighty to be tamed. This is why we as rangers of Las Noches were sent out to drive to its most southern edges towards Mexico. It’s a funny thing being able to see just over your horizon another country. The town of Dolores, Sonora could even be seen despite the distance.

We mainly were to inform if migrants were coming across. However, this usually wasn’t the case and so we simply reported on the wildlife. This was our actual jobs mind you. Mostly coyotes and wild dogs passed through. Deer were aplenty. But this region was famous for having some of the last North American Jaguar inhabit it. In the last five years we had tagged five of them. Most exciting was “Sombra”, Spanish for Shadow. A real black panther, quite large too, that had migrated from farther south Mexico. We think she must’ve mated with one of the yellow ones we’d already tagged. The last time we’d spotted her we noticed her belly was quite enlarged. Part of me wanted to find her and see the cubs, hoping the Jaguar would repopulate in greater numbers again.

Patricia and I were mainly were shooting the shit when we parked on Tiburon Mesa (named since it had the peculiar shape similar to a shark). I think we were arguing about whether or not Bryce Dallas Howard was "thicc", y'know the stupid shit you talk about when you're bored as hell. As the sun was setting, we got the call. The burst of panic and static startled us both in our seats. What we could make out was frightening.

“-we need help- STATIC- all dead! Somebody save m-STATIC” was all we heard before the line was lost. I recognized the voice - it was one of the Arizona Border Patrol agents, Myers. He was a big and proud Anglo-Texan. I'd never ever heard him express fear in my life before then. I wouldn't after either.

Patricia tried calling back. Asking what exactly was wrong. Was it Cartel? They’d sometimes venture this far north but usually as Coyotes trafficking immigrants. They never brought serious violence like what was seen in Juarez.

We only heard static. I contacted our boss back at the Ranger Station. Barbara told us the BP was in the area on a missing persons case. But this was hours ago and contact was lost. What was deeply concerning was that Lee and Gacha (two other Las Noches rangers) went looking for them. They too hadn't been heard from since.

Patricia & I needed no convincing. We hauled ass across the Reserve, driving over dried creek beds, through thick brush, and through the mesa. We were well into Mexico by the time we found the last known spot of the agents.

There was blood all over the sand. I saw it in spite of the setting sun. It was so bright and extended from the ground to the canyon walls. We kept driving ahead and saw no bodies or sign of the agents or our coworkers. But then we made it to the river.

It was huge. Almost the size of a adult Grizzly, maybe the exact size. Its fur was dark gold but in the fading light blended with the darkness. It was facing away from us, its jaws currently at work with a mangled bloody body. We could hear the crack of bones even from within the jeep.

The head, arms, and much of the upper torso was gone. I couldn’t tell you who it was.

It turned around to face the jeep, the headlights revealing it more. I realized this wasn’t exactly an unknown creature and looked like a large big cat of some sort. It had a dark mane of black hair around its neck that extended to its underbelly. But its size... my God the bastard was huge. Its paw could nearly cover the body.

Patricia swore as she tried to drive back. I reached for our rifle - a standard issue make for the rangers - and readied myself. I wasn’t sure if it was powerful enough to take the animal down, but I wouldn’t go down without trying. Patricia however was bent on getting the hell out of there, back for safety, back to the station where we had the numbers as an advantage. That’s what I would’ve done at least.

But luck wasn’t on our side. The canyon was too thin and adjusting around at a fast speed led us to crash into a boulder. The jeep slipped and fell on its side. My head banged against the passenger window which broke upon impact. The side of my face was cut from the broken glass. My vision was red with blood. Then the bastard jumped on the jeep.

It was atop of the driver’s door, right on top of Patricia. I heard her scream as the animal slammed its head on the door. It cracked the glass. Bastard was strong. I could hear its roar. It was so loud. Patricia pulled out her handgun - a Magnum, powerful. A good defense.

When the glass broke the beast pressed its head through the window. But its head was far too large to fit through it. We felt its hot breath through the window, its saliva fell down on us. What was worse was the smell of blood and flesh. I felt sick, from my bloody face, from the putrid smell. But Patricia took her shot.

She fired and shot the animal in the face. Blood sprayed down on us. It however really only grazed its face since it lifted its head back as she shot. Then in its fury as it howled in pain it struck down on the door. The force of it crashed into Patricia.

Her lifeless eyes stared wide open down at me. Before I knew it the door was broken off and Patricia was pulled out of the jeep. It pulled the door off first then dragged Patricia’s body out. I could only watch in horror and heard it drag her into the dirt.

My heart was racing. I knew I was going to die. This animal was a super predator the likes of which rivaled our fiercest creatures. It already had killed four people like it was nothing. And I was next.

Something in me chose to fight. I’m still not sure what possessed me. Maybe it was adrenaline, maybe anger, maybe God Himself took over and refused to let me die. I grabbed the rifle and wiggled out of my seat laying back down on my door. I pointed the rifle at the sky.

The beast returned. It didn’t roar this time but slowly entered the jeep. I pulled the trigger fast. It hit him right through its chest. It roared and leaped off of the jeep. Then I heard it snarl as it ran around me. The jeep was pushed and I found myself flipped over inside and was upside down. The beast knew to do that. As I fell down onto the inside of the roof, I saw the beast crawl down.

Its jaws had my whole left forearm. It was the worst pain in my life, the clamping of its powerful teeth down onto my flesh. It tried pulling me from the jeep but it instead tore off my arm. The sound... I can still hear the rip of my bones. I screamed as what was left of my arm began to bleed out.

I adjusted and covered my right side. My right arm grabbed the rifle. Thank God I was right-handed. I carefully aimed in spite of the awkwardness and shot out at the bastards’ feet. I hit its left paw (ironic isn’t it?) twice. I could hear it limping but it wasn’t done just yet. My eyes widened seeing that it was gonna charge at the jeep again. I moved and pushed myself out the broken window towards the beast as it smacked the jeep away.

I was opposite the jeep now and saw the beast’s back facing the vehicle. It then began tearing at the vehicle - somehow ripping the metal part. Bastard didn’t know I wasn’t there. Now I was able to get a better look at it. I could swear it looked almost like a large very dark lion but the size was too large. I could see the blood from its wounds shine bright in the night. I wouldn’t let it turn around. I shot the animal several times into its back.

The roar this time had the twinge of pain that anyone could recognize. Maybe I’d hit its spine. Whatever had happened it was assured in pain. But then it noticed where I was and ran over. It was atop of me. Its paw covered my whole chest. Its claws bore into me for sure and he dragged me across the ground. I saw its injured paw swipe and it struck my face. My left eye had been scarred and I lost my vision. Somehow, I was still conscious despite getting smacked by the full force of this powerful animal.

My remaining eye watched as the beast tried to lower its giant head to bite down. It was going to tear my entire head off my neck. Its jaws surrounded my face. I’d never seen such large fangs before.

That was when someone blasted it with a shotgun. I heard the blast. The beast howled again raising its head up away from me. Its thundering roar so close to me blasted my ear drums. I couldn’t hear anything now. I could only watch as it leaped off of me, its blood falling on me. That’s when I saw the face of a Mexican woman standing above me. I didn’t hear what she said but saw she was crying. My remaining vision faded to black as I finally passed out from all of my injuries.

I woke up two weeks later. Barbara was there when I woke up and filled me in. Apparently, our Mexican counterparts were also investigating the disappearance of some of their own in the area. Carolina Castillo of the Federales had tracked us down from all the noise of gunfire and from the roars of the beast. She was the one who blasted its shoulder with a shotgun. I still need to thank that woman for saving my life.

Barbara also revealed the fates of our co-workers. Patricia, Lee, Gacha, Myers, the missing people, were all dead. They found Patricia's body at least. The others didn't have much left behind.

So... now you know. Or were you after something more? You say I'm the only one, right? I'm the only one whose survived an attack from this thing. That despite being shot to hell and back that this monster is still prowling the mesas. That despite the combined efforts of both countries' agencies (even the goddamned National Guard) that no one's caught it? Soldiers, hunters, "the best we can hire" are being taken out by it? Honestly... I don't know what ya’ll want. I don't know what a one-armed, one-eyed ranger could offer you that those gunfighters haven't.

I don’t know what it is. I can’t say with confidence even if it is similar to some living beasts. I only know for certain: there is evil in its eyes.


End file.
